Makoshika #9
Makoshika State Park, Montana
2014
Another phenomenon I don’t understand about Makoshika is how something like this can happen. This was relatively flat ground, with nothing overhanging it. It appeared relatively homogeneous in it’s make-up and consistency. (The difference between the darker and lighter halves of the soil isn’t really as distinct as it appears here.) Yet, there is a dramatic shift in the erosion pattern and depth on either side of a straight line–and not much happens in a straight line when it comes to erosion. Strange.]]>
Makoshika #9
Makoshika State Park, Montana
2014
Interesting that this is flat land, Larry, because my impression is that the top “half” is “above” the bottom half. The darker soil & greater erosion seems to create this effect for me. I wonder if the effect would remain if the photo were flipped 180 degrees….hmmmm
Kathy, there are two reasons why the top might look above the bottom elevation-wise. One is because the ground might actually be slopping a bit. The other would be if I didn’t have my camera perfectly parallel to the ground. In this case I could well imagine that both those reasons apply to some degree. The important point in my mind though is that there seems to be no explanation for the straight line delineation between two very different looking textures in homogeneous soil.